Cecilia Chiang: A Life Well Lived
Cecilia Chiang in The Mandarin Restaurant
Culinary icon Cecilia Chiang, who brought authentic Chinese cuisine to San Francisco and the United States, passed away at 100 on October 28th. In 1961, she took a small space on Polk Street and opened The Mandarin Restaurant, introducing diners to Szechwan and Hunan dishes accompanied by an excellent wine list. San Franciscans accustomed to Americanized Cantonese takeout-and-delivery food enjoyed these new rich and spicy dishes. Chiang soon had an influential following, including newspaper columnist Herb Caen who wrote it was "the best Chinese food east of the Pacific."
Artifacts from The Mandarin Restaurant
Chiang moved to Ghirardelli Square and an elegant 300-seat restaurant in 1968. The Mandarin's dark wood-beamed ceiling interior with expansive views of Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf featured classic McGuire furniture and fine Chinese art; the restaurateur wore glamorous gowns with exquisite jewelry. Even the wait staff were well educated and from good families graciously serving locals and celebrities. Chiang brought to San Francisco her experience of growing up in an aristocratic Beijing family. During her sheltered childhood, she lived in a 52 room mansion with two chefs, one from the North and the other from the South.
The Mandarin Restaurant in Ghirardelli Square
The Japanese occupation of China and later the Cultural Revolution changed Chiang's life. After fleeing to Shanghai, she, her husband, and two children later settled in Tokyo. There she opened a Chinese restaurant, Forbidden City, in 1951, catering to other homesick ex-pats. A serendipitous visit to a sister living in San Francisco was the beginning of The Mandarin, which Chiang successfully managed until selling it in 1991. While she operated the restaurant, she taught other food luminaries the art of Chinese cuisine including James Beard, Chuck Williams, Julia Child, and Alice Waters.
Among the many accolades, she received in her lifetime was the James Beard Foundation Award for lifetime achievement in 2013.
Cecilia Chiang winning James Beard Foundation Award for lifetime achievement
